Sonny Fortune

Sonny Fortune in April, 2007

Sonny Fortune (born May 19, 1939 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American jazz alto saxophonist and flautist. He also plays soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone and clarinet.^[1]

Biography

After moving to New York City in 1967 he recorded and appeared live with drummer Elvin Jones's group. In 1968 he was a member of Mongo Santamaría's band. He subsequently performed with singer Leon Thomas, and with pianist McCoy Tyner (1971-73). ^[1]

In 1974 he replaced Dave Liebman in Miles Davis's ensemble, remaining until the following year when Miles was forced through illness into a five-year period of inactivity. Fortune was the first alto player to record with Miles since Cannonball Adderley on Kind of Blue in 1959, and he can be heard on the albums Big Fun, Get Up With It, Agharta and Pangaea, the last two recorded live in Japan. ^[1]

He joined Adderley's brother, Nat, after his brief tenure with Davis, and then went on to form his own group in June 1975, recording two albums for the A&M Horizon label. He has also performed with Roy Brooks, Buddy Rich, George Benson, Rabih Abou Khalil, Roy Ayers, Oliver Nelson, Rashied Ali and Pharoah Sanders, as well as appearing on the live album The Atlantic Family Live at Montreux (1977).^[1]

Discography

This section requires expansion.

As leader

• Long Before Our Mothers Cried (1974, Strata-East Records)
• Awakening (1975)
• Waves of Dreams (1976)
• Serengeti Minstrel (1977)
• Infinity Is (1978)
• With Sound Reason (1979)
• Laying It Down (1992)
• You And The Night And The Music
• Monk's Mood (1993)
• Four In One (1994)
• A Better Understanding (1995)
• From Now On (1996)
• In the Spirit of John Coltrane (2000)
• Continuum (2003)

As sideman

With Miles Davis

• Get Up with It (1974)
• Big Fun (1975)
• Pangaea (1975)
• Agharta (1975)

With McCoy Tyner

• Sahara (1972)

References

External links

• SonnyFortune.com official home page